plant flowering 7 dm high. leaves rosulate, 4–6 dm long, minutely appressed-lepidote beneath; sheath narrow, dark castaneous toward the base with broad pale margins; blade linear, erect, attenuate, flat, 1.5–2 cm wide. inflorescence: peduncle erect, slender; peduncle bracts imbricate, acute; fertile part red, 3–6-branched, internodes ca 1.4 cm long; primary bracts elliptic, acuminate, much shorter than the spikes; spikes suberect, lanceolate, (4-)7–14 cm long, 6–12(–28) flowered; floral bracts imbricate, elliptic, acuminate, 2 cm long, exceeding the sepals, strongly carinate, glabrous. flowers: pedicel 3 mm long. flowers 22 mm long; sepals lanceolate, acute, carinate; petals yellow, bearing 2 highly adnate scales. stamens and pistil included.Emended description : Gouda et al. 2006/2009. Encyclopaedia of bromeliads .